[Aar0nCM]

Howdy,

I'm a Biological and Agricultural Engineering student and I'm trying to do brewing related research (getting to brew in a lab and say I'm being productive  ). The problem is that there are many topics to research and I need to choose one. With my engineering discipline, I could choose to research just about anything (from brewing techniques/processes, equipment functions, ingredients, waste/energy, packaging, yeast, etc). I would like to hear any ideas or if anyone knows problems in the brewing industry that we could recreate and research in a lab. I'm mostly interested in the aspects of food engineering and microbiology but any topic suggestions will help.

Thanks!

[dls5492]

I would be interested in knowing how long a beer (post fermentation) is exposed to oxygen before it is oxidized.

[kramerog]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

[denny]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

For my own edification, would you define small?

[kramerog]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

For my own edification, would you define small?

Yes, by small I mean 15 bbl brewhouse or smaller so let's say making 3 batches a week ... round up, 50bbl/week.



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[hopfenundmalz]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

For my own edification, would you define small?

Yes, by small I mean 15 bbl brewhouse or smaller so let's say making 3 batches a week ... round up, 50bbl/week.



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Some small ones by me have friendly farmers they coordinate with.

Bell's has a guy who brokers spent grain to 8 or so dairy farmers.

Random thought. Dairy farmers are going out of business at s rapid pace. In Lelenau County in MI there were 14 a while back, now there is one. The cheese maker there scaled back distribution due to lack of milk. A good study would be what to do with spent grain when there are no local dairy farms. Alaskan brewing dries it, then fuels a boiler with it.

[denny]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

For my own edification, would you define small?

Yes, by small I mean 15 bbl brewhouse or smaller so let's say making 3 batches a week ... round up, 50bbl/week.



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In that case, I know of more than a few small breweries supplying spent grain to farmers

[Robert]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

For my own edification, would you define small?

Yes, by small I mean 15 bbl brewhouse or smaller so let's say making 3 batches a week ... round up, 50bbl/week.



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In that case, I know of more than a few small breweries supplying spent grain to farmers

Not a small brewery, but I understand  that Great Lakes (besides making some spent grain bread) supplies spent grains to contracted organic farmers, who use it as mulch, the produce then returning to the brewery restaurant in a nice sort of cycle.

[Visor]

   I have to disagree with Kramerog's statement, almost all of the smaller breweries I'm familiar with have it picked up by cattle growers for feed. The only one I can think of that throws the grain away does so because there are no stockgrowers nearby, and the small town where they are located has no municipal recycling/composting program.

[jeffy]

Every small brewery in my area collects the spent grain in plastic drums and has a farmer pick it up.  Some of them trade for farm products (beef, pork) during the year.

[ynotbrusum]

I have been told that in some areas, the brewers actually put it out to the highest bidder.  They require scheduled pickups that are based on brewing schedules, so that it is taken away fresh.

[kramerog]

In places that aren't all that close to farm animals, like Chicago, spent grain is largely going to waste, at best being composted. 

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[charlie]

Spent grain is a significant waste stream for craft breweries.  Generally, they don't produce enough spent grain for it to be hauled off to be fed to cattle before it gets really stinky.  Is there a good way to use spent grain that scales down to small breweries?

I worked at what you would call a small brewery from 2012 to 2015 (20 bbl rig). We sent all of our spent grain to cattle ranchers in East Texas, and they showed up to get it on time. I asked one how it worked out and he said his cattle were fat and happy. So there's that.

If the majors don't do it then to hell with them.

Charlie

[Robert]

If the majors don't do it then to hell with them.

The majors are far more likely to have an efficient way of dealing with this waste stream.  They need to pinch every penny, and so can afford a significant upfront capital investment in spent grain dewatering, handling, and transport infrastructure, and are in a position to make contracts attractive to large cattle  and feed operations.  The challenge is naturally greater for a small brewery shoveling spent grain into a Brute.  Your former employer was fortunate.

[dbeechum]

In places that aren't all that close to farm animals, like Chicago, spent grain is largely going to waste, at best being composted. 

which is weird because here in Los Angeles, almost all of the brewers I know are sending their grains out for feed.